What A Few One-Putts Will Do

Today, under sweltering sun and oppressive heat, I shot my lowest nine ever – 42. My playing partners shared a cart. I walked and drank a lot of water.

I didn’t start off that well – bogeyed the first hole then doubled the second on a three putt and thought, oh crap, putting slump continues.

But I never three-putted again and picked up two one-putts later on.

Off the tee and fairway, I only remember one really awful shot. The rest were acceptable or better. And the rare combination – of hitting both woods and irons well on the second shot – happened. In the not so distant past, it has either been irons or woods that go better with the other being just OK. Today, both types of shots went pretty much where I wanted them to!

The seventh hole is a difficult par-5 with a big lake to get past and nasty bunkers circling the green. I am happy with anything seven or under on that hole. I sunk a one-putt for par today.

The shot of the day, however, came on the eighth. It’s a long, tight, straight and unforgiving par-4 that will sting you if you slice, hook or aim wrong. OB on either side. My second shot got me just inside 50 yards. I had very little green to work with and decided to pitch on with a softer nine-iron instead of my wedge. If the ball landed on the fringe it had some room to run uphill. I wasn’t feeling confident with my pitching wedge and did not want to land behind the pin for a downhill putt.

Feeling capable with my nine-iron in hand, I pitched it just onto the forward fringe, left of the pin. It rolled up, moved slightly right and came to a nice little stop five inches from the cup.

Count it as a one-putt, baby, and it was the easiest par I ever made. 🙂

Thanks! Yes, go to the range and smack some balls silly. Good for the soul. Actually, I haven’t been in a long while. Mostly I’ve been working on short game stuff – yet it’s my long game that has been the most consistent. Crazy game this golf.

Favorite Golf Quotes

"Ask yourself how many shots you would have saved if you always developed a strategy before you hit, always played within your capabilities, never lost your temper, and never got down on yourself."
Jack Nicklaus